Gaseous Hg Poisoning

Mercury is known to be extremely harmful to human health in any form, a strong neurotoxin that can occur naturally or be released from power plants and many other sources and spread across land, soil, air and water.

Chemical Properties

Mercury is a heavy metal that, at room temperature, occurs in liquid form, but with an already high vapor pressure.

Uses

There are many uses for mercury in liquid form; however, there are relatively few uses when it is in gaseous form. Mercury vapors enable electricity to produce ultraviolet light that then produces fluorescent light. Some electron tubes, skin tanning lamps, disinfection lamps also use gaseous mercury.

Toxicity

While mercury is very toxic when it builds up in water and soil, it is even more dangerous when in gaseous form, because it is all the more easily inhaled, swallowed or deposited on our body.